Despite a number of stylistic and grammatical/syntactical gaffes and oddities that appear in a newly published biographical sketch of dear old Howard Lovecraft at the Website Machinations into Madness — see especially the first sentence quoted below, which is both incomprehensible and strangely fascinating — the piece captures something really vital about the man, or actually several really vital things about him, in just a very few words:

Despite the scarcity of Lovecraft’s work, all those who wanted to retake and expand them saw in his works, in many cases far superior technically to the model, darkened by the bleak and engaging stories of their teacher, who achieved a curious and unrepeatable alchemy.

Puritan, rabidly racist, reactionary and almost fascist, frugal, repressed and convinced to be an English gentleman of the eighteenth century, he was, as unanimously testified by those who knew him, a lovely person. His Puritanism was personal: never censured those around him. His racism was curiously literary; there is no evidence that he had expressed it against anyone in particular. He married a Jew girl, without feeling the slightest rejection. Saved by the testimony of those who knew him, his xenophobia should be taken as rejection and fear of the unknown, the different. Whenever Lovecraft made contact with what he said he despised and hated, he assimilated it smoothly. In his letters was an obnoxious racist, but in person was a friendly and retracted man that greatly enjoyed the company of like-minded people, not caring where they come from. Not that he was paradoxical or contradictory, but insecure. He was a complex man, and in the end of his life slowly ebbed his shell and accepted the world.

. . . . The end of Lovecraft was cruel and premature. In 1936 he began to suffer painful intestinal disorders. A guy like he would rather die than submit to the indignity of a rectal exam, and that was what happened. For when he was diagnosed (by external observation) colon cancer, it was too late for any treatment. He died on March 15, 1937, and only four people attended his funeral. His grave has no headstone, but it has a column that says: “I am Providence”.

It’s not fair to leave HPL like this. It is likely that he preferred an ornate, gloomy description of his tomb, of the moonless dark nights and shadows that creep after his (nonexistent) tombstone. But his work was pleasant and sparked the imagination of many people over decades.

He was a lovely and curious person with a sad life, and every reader who has found pleasure in one of his pages sincerely hopes that in any of these activities previously mentioned he had found deep happiness.

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About Matt Cardin

Teeming Brain founder and editor Matt Cardin is the author of DARK AWAKENINGS, DIVINATIONS OF THE DEEP, A COURSE IN DEMONIC CREATIVITY: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO THE INNER GENIUS, and the forthcoming TO ROUSE LEVIATHAN. He is also the editor of BORN TO FEAR: INTERVIEWS WITH THOMAS LIGOTTI and the academic encyclopedias MUMMIES AROUND THE WORLD; GHOSTS, SPIRITS, AND PSYCHICS: THE PARANORMAL FROM ALCHEMY TO ZOMBIES; and HORROR LITERATURE THROUGH HISTORY.

About

The Teeming Brain explores news, trends, and developments in religion, horror, science fiction, fantasy, the paranormal, creativity, consciousness, and culture. It also tracks apocalyptic and dystopian trends in science, technology, politics, ecology, economics, the media, the arts, education, and society at large. Its founder and primary author is Matt Cardin.

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Praise for the Teem

FOR MATT CARDIN:

"[Dark Awakenings is] a thinking-man's book of the macabre...Cardin's tales are rich with references to Lovecraft, Nietzsche, and other writers whose work gives them unusual philosophic depth." – Publishers Weekly

“It’s a bold writer who, in this day and age, tries to make modern horror fiction out of theology, but Cardin pulls it off.” – Darrell Schweitzer

“In the tradition of Poe and Lovecraft, Cardin's accomplishments as a writer are paralleled by his expertise as a literary critic and theorist.” – Thomas Ligotti

“Matt Cardin is one of those rare horror authors who is also a true scholar and intellectual.” – Jack Haringa

FOR RICHARD GAVIN:

"Literate horror fans who have yet to encounter Canadian author Richard Gavin are in for a treat. The lyrical prose is often at a higher level than usual presentations of otherworldly demons and malevolent forces." – Publishers Weekly

"Richard Gavin is one of the bright new stars in contemporary weird fiction. His richly textured style, deft character portrayal, and powerful horrific conceptions make every one of his tales a pleasure to read." – S. T. Joshi

"Gavin's storytelling can be masterly. As with Machen and Blackwood at their best, an epiphany or illumination is achieved, though Gavin's mysticism is darker and distinctly his own." – Wormwood

FOR STUART YOUNG:

"No one can accuse Stuart Young of avoiding the big issues -- with insight and verve, he tackles head-on the existence of God, the mystery of human consciousness and the transformative effects of psychedelic drugs." – Mark Chadbourne